Goal IV: Theory and Praxis

Theory and Praxis asks whether I can describe and apply research methodologies in LIS and identify opportunities to develop research in applied settings. Core courses in the MLIS program are in green font.

IV.a — Describe applications of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies in LIS

In LIS 6511 (Collection Development & Maintenance), I developed a Community Collection Needs Assessment for the St. Louis Public Library. The proposed assessment would include data from public sources, key informant interviews, and a patron survey.

View artifact: Community Collection Needs Assessment →

In LIS 5937 (Genealogy for Library & Information Science), I researched three generations of my Rowe family. The Kinship Determination document contains a 16 page narrative, and 68 pages of documentation. This is an example of qualitative research, with a focus on obtaining primary source material.

View artifact: Kinship Determination Project →

IV.b — Identify opportunities for research and develop plans for research in applied settings

In LIS 6661 (Government Documents) my institutional profile of a Federal Depository Library explicitly named a gap in the field — no existing study of Federal Deposit Library website navigability — and proposed research to fill it

View artifact: FDL Collection Profile →

Note that the USF Graduate School waived LIS 6271: Research Methods in Library & Information Science, due to my 30+ year career in mental health services research.